Telephone-exchange system.



CLEMENT.

TELEPHONE EXGHANGB SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED HQV. 26,, 1906 Patented Aug. 11,-19m

5' SHEETBr-SHEET 1.

Swuzhloz E. E. CLEMENT. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEH. APPLIOATION FILED N.QV.,26, 1906. 1,107,150. Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

5 SH ETS-SHEET z.

awuenfoi E. E. CLEMENT.

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM. APPLIOATION FILED 110 1.26, 1906.

1,107,150. Patented Aug.11,1914.

5 sums-51mm 4.

B. E. CLEMENT. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

APPLIGAT ION FILED NOV. 26, 1906.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

' .EIDV/AED E. CLEl/IENT; .673 WASHINGTON,

executor or coLUMBrA, AssreN'oR, BY MESI-TE ass; err/rears, no FREDERICK c. err-mus. or ATIIGA, NEW YORK.

TELEPHGNE-EXCEANGE SYSTEM.

T9 aZZ 107mm it may concern Be it .lrnou'nthatl, EDWARD E. CLEMENT, a citizen of the United States residing at l'l ashington, in the, District of Columbia have invented cert-iiinew and useful rmproyements in- Telephone-Enchange Eye terns, otjwhich the following 1s a speci ca tion, reference being had therein to the aiccompanying drawing.

My invent-ion relates to telephone eX- change systems 'and apparatus for use therein.-

It has. particular reference to semi-auto-. matic systems, although 'notlimited thereto. Its object is to provide certain improvements in such systems, and particularly in the impulse transmitters or sending mach nes used by operators or subscribers for ca olling automatic switching means- The ini'eiition comprises the sending machine itself and the circuit therefor. The machine is n whanically' driven, normally unwound, W" number'W'heel having a plurality sets of teeth onits'periphery, and meansfor slioi't -circuiting any desired number of teeth in each set to determine the number of impulses transmitted thereby. The short-eircuiting means inthe present case I make push-buttons having stemsset at intervals and radially around the axis of the Wheel. There may be one or more sets of these buttons, and With'each'set a fin .or short-circuiting projection on the spindle co-- operates asthe spindle turns, the number of impulses transmitted being determined by the niunber of teeth passin 'the contact springs before the same are saoi'bcirc'uited.

The circuit for this machine comprises means for connecting the same to a'tr'unk circuit or operators cord circuit at the central othce and for disconnecting the same the ro'm. The use and connection of the sine the subscribers station are or course obvious.

' lfhe invention is'illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Which. v

Figure-i is a plan-view of the sending machine; Fig. 2 is a similar View with the top of the case and pushbutton mechanism removed; Fi 3 is a side View looking in the direction of th arrow in Fig. 2, the side of the casing e ng removed; Figs. i, 5, and 6 he drivin and short-- ig 'Fin'ga r i'agrani of the cir-. flnoint of connection oi. the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 28, 1906.

1 3 $05; 7 he alre dy stated thi consists ug. 11; 1914. Serial No. 3 33.167.-

first selectorsu itch trunk; Fig. 8 isacontinuation of the diagram in Fig. 7, showing the switch circuits. Fig. 8 is a diagrani similar to. Fig. 8 showingmodified ringing means. In the drawings I have illustrated one form of embodiment of my invention; which may be generally stated as followsi A-calling subscribers line announces itself to the operator by means of a signal, -and the operator thereupon plugs up the line to a trunk leadin to an automatic switch outfit; or else the ine calling may-1, automatically connect itself to a trunkthrough what I rave called primary.selector.apparatus; such as is illustrated in myprior application filed September 18th,'1905,- Serial No. 2T9,-031. In either case the calling line .bCCOmQSQOIF nected to automatic switching apparatus, but as the subseribersstati'ons arenot provided with "any controlling apparatus or sending mzurhine, some further device and connections attl e centralefiice are required in order to complete the connection. I supply thisin the form of an operators sending .machine, consisting of a mechanism for "sending variable set-s of-' impulses This mechanism is connected to thetru'nk and at the same time the 'operatorsitelephoneis brought into use so that the number-ivan-tedf "may be ascertained. The sending machine is then manipulated to transmit the necessaryimpulses toYactuat-e the switches soas to, effect connection "with the line \vanted. This sending machine preferablV-has-rows $0 'of push buttonsfor determining thorium;

here to be sen-t, and a springdriven train or motor, which is wound up by the ope ator after the proper buttons have been depr ssedl The present invention concerns itself 'especially with the operators sending device and its circuits, but I shall claimthe sameals'o in combination with-the-other features of the system hereinbe-fore referred to, such as the means for connecting the calling sub- 10 3 scriber to the trunk and the automatic switching devices for completing'the connection of the trunk to the. wanted sub scriber.

"With this preliminary explanat on the detailed cleseriptien now be readily fol" lowed. Before up the circuit I will present the 'aoparatus which is shown in with certain auxiliaryconta-ct devices and push buttons 'for the latter, all mounted in a case A which is supposed 'to be secured in the top of an operators desk, as indicated by the sectional view, Fig. 3. The spring vided with a main drivingsgring m adapt ed'to be wound up by an arm m having a handle m which projects above the top of the desk as shown in Fig. This arm is rigidly secured to the main arbor or spindle m of the motor, the same being geared up to the usual escapement devices so as to suitably regulate the speed of its rotation. In its normal condition, with the spring unwound, the winding arm lies in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, all the'working parts ojsttzhe device being shown in the position of The main arbor m carries the driving wheel in which meshes with the pinion m on the s indle s of the number wheel. This spindle 1s journaled in the two frame plates a a, and the parts are all so proportioned and arranged that each time the arm m is thrown-over to wind up the spring, the inotor in running down will rotate the spindle sand all the parts it carries through one complete. turn of 360. The parts carried on the spindle are the number wheel W .and the short circuiting fins 8', s s and 8*. As all of these part must be accurately positioned on the spindle with re ard to each other, I will refer here to their rode of at.-

motor i shown at M in Fi 2, being pro- 3-5 tachment, which is indicated in detail in Figs. 4,v 5 and e. Th spindle itself is square throughout its length as indicated at s in Fig. 5, but is rounded at its ends as indicated in Figs, 2 and 4, for the purpose of fitting '40 .in its-bearings. A. threaded shoulder is formed on each-rounded-end, one end receiving the nut s and the other nut 8 between which the other parts are clamped.

I may state thatit is necessary for these parts to be insulated from the spindle,- so four slips ofinsulating material 3 are laid on the four faces of the spindle and the wheels and fins are then slipped on,-it being impossible for' them to turn because their openings are also squared and fit accuratelji upon the insulation. Fig. 6 shows one ofthe fins with its square openin It will be observed that this opening is so placed that its diagonal coincides with the center line or radius of the fin. By this meansv all the fins can be made with the same punch and die, all can be formed with the sameforming tool, and all can be assembled in their re spective positions by simply placing the twin parts face to face and then turning the several pairs at angular distances of 90 from each other. As regards the insulation, it is quite obvious. that I may use a square tube, and I may remark in passing that the reason for squaring these parts isthat there are four sets of numbers on the wheel. If we have five setso f numbers to transmit, it would be necessary to provide fi'i e faces on the shaft and make the openings in the other parts to correspond therewith; 4

The fins and the wheel are suitably spaced apart on the shaft or spindle by means of tubular distance pieces-.8 whose. configuration, except for their plane ends, a matter of inditieren'ce. Outside of the wheel on the one end and of the hub of the tin on the other end are two washers and beyond these the nuts already referred to. By turning up these nuts the attached parts are firmly clamped together. i

The number wheel is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It has four sets of ten teeth each, which I have indicated at e0 10 i42 and 10 separated by long spaces'or intervals without teeth. Each set of teeth and each interval is equal in its are din'icnsions to oneeighth of the entire periphery.- The fins s 8 8 and 8* are spaced apart f om each vother-on the shaft dista ces equal to the dis tance apart of the rows of push buttons P I, P and-P, shown in Fig. 1. Each push button has a stem 72 mounted to slide through the top of the casing and through openings p -and p in the frame pieces 32 and p Upon each stem I provide a conical cam g), and alongside of the stem of each row of buttons I arrange aslidepl'ate 79 carrying pins 2) to codperate with'the cams Each cam has a shoulder 10 on its upper face, which however is slightly beveled or '100 chamfered 05 on the edge for the purpose of insuring the restoration of each cam to normal when another cam in the same row is pressed down. The slide 79 works in slots out in the. end pieces 7) of the frame, and 10.5 is held normally pressed to the right by means of the steel spring 79 which is set into slots, cut in the members f and. p of the frame.- v

The stem 72 are all set radially with re- '11) sp'cct to the wheel IV, and when they are pressed in, their tips must come with-in the compass of one of the fins 3, etc, with which they coiiperatc, that isto say, within one-eighth of the circumference. Each row of buttons registers with one of the fins s 3 etc., and in the complete rotation of the spindle .9 each fin will make contact throughout its length with whicheverstem is down in its set.

Mounted on the side of the casing A is a pair of springs cand 0', one of'which'is electrically connected to the frame and the other is electrically connected to the wheel IV by means of the supplemental spring contact w. The purpose of this is that when one of the fins s, 8 etc., touches one of, the stems p the'wheel W, which is connected electrically to the fins, will thereby become. I connected to the frame, hence the two spr ngs;13ov

' 'e and T the wheel {this new yond the periphery thereon These studs opened and-closed as many times as there. i are teeth, remaining closed however while produce four groups of ten breaks'e'ach in each group however I provide the push buttons and their stems; and it will be obfirst set ofteeth 'w, for thereason that the so they are normally out ofcontact with L l and connectei; any further, .ri mslly in contact, a-ithou chang the circuit connection them nermaliy open be separated by means is connected to tne wheel, becom of an insulating stud ing opening in the lower spring c, while having its tip lying close to the peripheryof the Wl188l' W. When the wheel rotates and, its teeth reach this stud, thesprings' will be' the plain interva -ls on the wheel are pass-l ing. If no other means were provided, therefore,- than thevwheel and the springs each complete rotation of the wheel would the circuitconnectedto the springs, these groups or breaks being .separdted by,-four intervals of equal length, durin whichthe circuit remains'closed, In order to vary the number of impulses that may be sent in served that the springs may be short circuited .at any desired point, by depressing the corresponding button 77. When the first? button; connnencing at the left of Fig. 3 is depressed, and the wheel starts to rotate, there will be one impulse transmitted by the fin s will come intjo contact with the stern of the button at the same time that the second tooth reaches the stud 0*. As the machine is actually set in the drawing how ever, four breaks will actually be produced by the first group of teeth 10, since the fourth button has been pushed down, and four 'teeth' will therefore pass over the stud c before the fin '3 reaches the stem 72 o f lthe button which has beendepressed."

On the opposite side of the casing from the springs c 0' I provide a siniilar air of springs o 'c these being arranged however each other; and are adapted to be brought in to contact by'ine'ans of a stud o passing through the walhof the franie."lt' will be observed upon reference to? 2 that this stud c is not affected by i 'eeth on wheel becauseitl is out alineinent th It e pressed up only, four times t l lar canis or studs "w 1 'w and 20 screwed to the face of the wheel and proyecting oe intervals between teeth, theresui r r or breaks at c c;

ilie opera f. i of my sending devic now be hilly ers'tood. The opera up the number desired to be transmitted depressingthe corresponding keys shown in F ig. 1, and than pulls toward her the liane dle m causing the arm m to turn thearv "into contact with the stem 39 of the number i button in its'set the said stem passes between the two spring leaves or halves of the fin, and the rest of the teeth-1n the set w are short circuited, because by the time the fin passes oil of the button stem the last tooth has also passed'the stud. These four.v breaks a ,0 are followed by a single make at c 0 caused by the stud w. 'Next, the teeth 10 come into engagementwith the stud c", and likewise produce four breaks before the fin 8 short circuits them, Then in succession the teeth-w reach the ,stud

and produce six breaks before beingshort circuited by the fin s Finally, the teeth w reach the; stud. 0* and produce eight breaks before they are short eircuited by the fin 8*. Each operator is preferably pro vided with two or iiio these sending machines, set' side b3 and if it be desired to get the buttons-closer together, the spring motors maybe puton npposite sides. Theidea inthis duplication is two-fold. In the first place it is necessary to provide a reserve 'setfin case of derangement of the fworlrin' set, and in the second. place the op- .erator' must .be able to attend to another call, and set up another number while aniunber already set up is being transmitted. The period of operation which I have found most suitable is live seconds, that. is to say,

takes five seconds forth e boxto run down a ter it h 1 and wound' It takes the operator minutely three seconds to anted, and to depress the get the num' o I proper buttons'porresponding thereto: Urn

der ordinar co 'd'ition's therefor it would be 1 v 1 advisable to if machines, set'sit ,sri an operator wit b v sid this sending lever that it can be operated the foot, or we may employ some. other k either constantly driven or intermitta'nt, the-operating spindle a being pressing a suitable button or the number has been set up, It. will be observed that the savlng intinie consumption coupled thereto or the 'motor started by dcthe like when is very large, since, according to the'best manual practice the average time consumed in completing a connection is approximately eleven seconds. y

-I will nowdescribe my circuit arrangements shown -in Figs. 7 and 8. In Fig. '7 A is a subscribers stat-ion equipped with com mon battery apparatus, and connected by linewires 1'2 tothe'centralyolfice, Where it normally passes on the one sidetothe line relay M and on the other side to ground. The line relay-controlsa lamp m. Extensions 3 and 4 of the line lead from 'front contacts of the cut-off relay N to the jack J-or to the equivalent multiple contacts in a primary selector switch to which reference will be made hereinafter A plug P cooperates with thc'jack J and isjconnected by; cord conductors 5. and 6 through. -c' on- .'I densers D to trunk wires 7-9 and 810 leadin'gto the automatic switches in-Fig. 8. Interposed in the trunk Wires referred-to are the normally. closed; cont-acts 1-l-1 3, 12-14- of a key K, having other contacts 15-16 connected by wires 17 -18 to the sending machine. A listening key K when actuated connects the operators telephone to the wires 7' 8. IVith the key K in the'normal conditionshown, the cord con 1 ductors and. trunk wires are continuous for purposes of conyersationfronl the plug P through to the switches. hen the key K thrown down, the wires 7-4), 8 '10, are respectively broken, 9 "and being then connect-edindividually to the Wires 17 -18.

The wire 17 passes to the armature of a relay 7c, and when the armature ,ot the said relayis retracted, the connection is completed to the battery B. Therelay has its windingsconnectcdin the circuit 19 passingthrough a switch 20 to the spring 0 of the sending machine. The spring of, asalready' stated, is connected to the fram'e'of the 'ma chine and thence to the different sets of key stems 72?. I have indicated this connection by a wire 27 and have indicated the electrical connection between the wheel and the fins' s,'s s and s by the line 21. I

qThe reason for introducing the relay is betweemthe springs 0 and the circuit over which the impulses are to be transmitted is simply to change-the breaks produced at the wheel intomakes or current impulses, be-

switches I have chosen for illustration on be connected directly tothe'wire 17 without changing the operation essentially. Inasn1u'ch as I haveshown the relay Z: on-a nor: -mally closed circuit however, I introduce the, switch-- 20 so that. currentmay be cut machi'ne'is not in use.

Fig; 8 is the same-as that illustrated and described in my prior appl'cation, Serial No.

' 279,031, filedSepten1hcr18,l905, and is also the same as any set of standard FStrowgcr switches. The mechanical construction .of such switches is clearly shown a's to the se- Marchlii, 1906 to Keithand Erickson, and

ent 815,176, granted on the same date to. the same parties. The testing. of the switch automatically, and I preferably use 'a'utomaticrmglng also wlnch I have illus however, that I also contemplate employing in this same :circuit the. method of ringing ,inbefore ref'errcdto in which case the operator will have a su table ringing key with trunks. 22, etc., tothe-Verti'cal relay which is usually employed to control the ringing relay. The ope rator.s key for this type of ringing. is shown at the right of-F ig. S, and

therewith is shown in Fig; 8, the rest of the switch circuits being identical with those ofFig.8.

In 0 eration, the switches I- have here illustra ed respond to selective, groups of impulses coming over the wires 9 and 22. the number of impulses in each group being determined by the particular buttons depressed in the sending machine. The consprings 0 c of the sending machine.

moves his receiver from the'hooln closing hisline circuit and energizing the line re-, lay so as to light the lamp m. The operator inserts the answering plug P in the jack J and throws down bot-h keys K'and K: Key

trunk conti nuity,- putting the wires 9-10 on to the wires 1718 of the sending machine. -IIaving receivedthe number wanted,

cause it; is easier to operate the type of lectors in Letters Patent No. 815,321, granted.

as to the connector switches in Letters Pate trated herein. I wish it to be understoodf shown-land described in my application here;

after the side switch-has taken itsfinalstep" the modified connector circuit cooperating -trolling rotaryimpulses for the switches are sent over the. wires 10 and-Q3'throughthe Y "In operation, the calling subscriber A re-' K connects her telephone to the calling end of the trunk 7-8;. and key- Kbreaks the inakes than on breaks. The wire 19 might oil'- from'the relay when desired or when the .The set of automatic switches shown in wanted .line is performed in the connector normallyopen contacts adapted to connect the wire 9 to battery when actuated, so as tosend impulses at, will over the verticalthe'operator'sets it up on the buttons P,

P, 3, P as nnready described, and pulls CUT-18, and fixed terminals such as jack springs or the like for the trunk wires.

Various other switching, arrangements may-be made and it is to be understood that I include the same broadlyas within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what Lclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. An impulse signal transmitting device v for: use in telephone exchange systems com-v sbitions of the operation thereo prising means for producing uniform groups t of current Lnpulses, and means for modifying the groups becoming operative during transmission, said means comprising separate contact units arranged in digital groups corresponding to the groups of current impulses,'substantially as described.

2. An impulse signal transmitting device for use in telephone exchange systems comprising a number wheel adapted to produce a uniform series of current cha'nges, a plurallty of rows of push buttons corresponding to variable digits of the number to be transmitted, interlocking means for the push buttons in each row and means operated with thenumber wheel as determined by the buttons to modify the current changes in acc rdance with the number to be transmitted, substantially as described.

3. A signal transmitter for use in telephone exchange systems, switching apparatus comprising uniformly proportioned means for producing uniform groups of control impulses, and means formodifying the groups becoming operative during transmission, said means comprising separate contact units arranged in digital groups corresponding to the groups of current impulses, substantially as described.

"4. An impulse transmitter to be used in telephone exchange systems comprising means to produce uniform groups of impulses, and a plurality of banks of signal selecting keys each comprising a plurality of keys and arranged to short-circuit said impulse producing means duringvarious poraccording to According to this. arrangement there would be one key K for the key of the bank pressed whereby various portions of each group of impulses may be made efiective to control theswitches.

An impulse transmitter to be used in' telephone exchange systems comprising uniform, groups of signal impulses, and a means to produce successively a plurality of I corresponding plurality of banks of digitally arranged. signal selecting keys, arranged to successively disablesald mpulse producing means during the production of a portion of the corresponding group of impulses where-' modified during transmission.

6. An impulse transmitter to' be used in telephone exchange systems comprising a rotary' device for, producing uniform groups of impulses, and a concentrically ar-' ranged bank comprising a. plurality ofsignal selecting keys arranged to disable said impulse producing device during-the production of various portions of the groups of impulses according to the key of the-bank which is -operated whereby the groups of impulses are variously modified during transmission.

7. An impulse transmitter to be used in telephone exchange systems a rotatable commutator device arranged to produce uniform groups of signal impulses,

by the groups of impulses are variously comprising concentrically mounted angularly [displaced switching segments,- and a bank of coi5per-' ating signal selecting keys associated concentrically with each switching segment and arranged to disable the commutating during the production of various portions of the groups of impulses whereby the groups of impulses are variously modified during transmission. I

8. A sinnaltransmitter for use in telephone exchange systems comprising a rotating wheel having contacts associated therewith by means of which it produces signal impulses of predetermined number and frequency in cycles, together with a plurality of groupsof" rotary switching devices adapted to excerpt from each cycle of impulses produced by said commutator wheel groups of impulses varying in number, each of said switching devices comprising a fixed bank of push button contact keys and a coiiperating rotary contact cam.

produced by said commutator wheel groups of impulses varying in number, each of said switching device'scoinprising a fixed bank of push button contact keysand a coiiper' ating rotary cOntact -eam, together-.-with an mterlock between the indivihal of said cam contacts in their-rotation, together each bank whereby bucolic key eime with-interlocking-means between the indimaybe depressed. v I 'vidual keys of each bank and circuit connec- 15 10. A signal transmitter. for neein eel.- tions closed by said cam and key contacts 5 phone exchange system comprising a in shunt tmsaid fixed contacts actuated by 'tobtlled disk, :1 pair of fixedcontacts ac-' tlie'toothed wheel.

tuatedthrough the rotation of Said disklto In testimony whereof I afiix my signature prdduce current impulses, a plurality of anin presence of two witnesses. WflI'LYQSPflCCd synchronously rotated cam EDWARD E. CLEMENT.

10 contacts, a plurality of banks of conc'en Witnesses trically arranged coiiperating signal select- G. E. RUFF, ing keys arranged to be contacted with by E. EDMONSTON, Jr. 

